East Asia

Korea Full Circle

Seoul to Busan and back through the mountains

16 days

Duration

$45

Daily budget

Easy

Difficulty

Apr – May, Sep – Oct

Best months

Fast trains, 24-hour cities and temple stays. Korea is cheaper than Japan, has world-class public transport and hostels that cluster around every subway line.

The route, stop by stop

🇰🇷 Seoul · South Korea

Palaces, Hongdae nightlife, endless cheap street food.

4 nights$48/day

⛰️ Sokcho · South Korea

Seoraksan national park and east-coast seafood.

2 nights$42/day

🏯 Andong · South Korea

Hahoe folk village and a proper temple stay.

2 nights$38/day

🌸 Gyeongju · South Korea

Open-air museum city of burial mounds and Bulguksa.

2 nights$40/day

🌊 Busan · South Korea

Beach city, Gamcheon culture village, Jagalchi fish market.

4 nights$46/day

🍚 Jeonju · South Korea

Hanok village and the birthplace of bibimbap.

2 nights$42/day

6 stops · 16 nights

≈ $700 total

Totals are estimates built from the per-night budgets above — your real spend will vary.

Getting around

→KTX high-speed rail
→Intercity express buses
→T-money card for all city transit

Don't forget

✓Comfortable shoes for hills
✓Layers for autumn
✓Portable wifi or eSIM
✓Slip-on shoes for temple stays

Ready to walk it?

Save the stops as a trip, track your budget and find hostels along the way.

Start planning free

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